The soft-furred wolf stretches out on the ground, giving a toothy yawn.
"Oh, I've been with this pack since the start. My family ran me off their territory when I was barely a year old. I was lying to myself, thinking I knew how to survive without a pack. And I could feel the winter on the way. Seeps right down deep into your bones, doesn't it, out here on the mountain? Well, after a few months of scraping by on my own, I found Willow, wandering the valley all alone in the middle of a hailstorm. She looked awful desperate, herself. So I figured, if you've got to be alone, you might as well find someone to be alone with."
He sets his chin down on his paws with a sigh.
"I've had more than my share of wandering. To be honest with you, I get the shakes something awful if I'm all alone in the forest. Bad memories. So, I stay here with the pups instead. They're never going to feel abandoned, not on my watch."
